Controversy erupts around street re-naming proposal

by Hubert Wiggins

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:21:49 GMT —

Lair Scott is the director of Toledo's LGBT Community Services Online. Last month he and several others asked Toledo City Councilman Steve Steel to sponsor legislation that would re-name one block of Erie Street in downtown Toledo after Joe Wicks, the long time owner of Ceasr's Show Lounge. "It was our intention to just name the 100 block of Erie Street Joe Wicks Way and and so we took that proposal to Steve Steel,"Mr. Scott said. Scott says that for many years Joe Wicks was a friend to Toledo's gay and lesbian community. "It was Joe who placed gay Toledo on the map and it was Joe who tirelessly fed Toledo's LGBT homeless and made certain that anythinh the community needed he provided," Mr. Scott said.

In the days following the introduction of the legislation at least two dountown businessman have voiced their opposition to the plan to rename a portion of Erie Street after Wicks. City Councilman Steel doesn't regret the decision to sponsor the legislation. "I am surprised by what has happened, and if we can't honor Mr. Wicks' life with this perhaps we can find some other way," Mr. Steel said.